Grand Jury Indicts California School Employees for Restraining Child with Autism, Allegedly Leading to His Death

A grand jury had indicted three California school employees for involuntary manslaughter following the death of a child with autism who was restrained in the classroom when he allegedly became violent.

Cindy Keller, the executive director; Starrane Meyers, former principal; and Kimberly Wohlwend, the special education teacher of the Guiding Hands School Inc. in El Dorado County, have been formally taken to court for a serious crime that resulted in the death of Max Benson, a 13-year-old child with autism.

According to People, the indictment comes three years after the three California school employees were arrested for Benson's death. The child died a year before the arrest at the UC Davis Medical Center, where he was taken when he became unresponsive while restrained.

The defendants are due to appear in court for the pre-trial hearing on Sept. 2, 2022. They have pleaded not guilty.

Read Also: Parents of Missing Georgia Teen Slam Police for Saying She's a Runway; Kaylee Jones Has Special Needs

What happened to Max Benson?

According to WDTN, Benson was sanctioned because he spat on a classmate. Wohlwend held the boy down for nearly two hours as the other staffers carried out a "take down maneuver" as he was trying to free himself.

The 13-year-old became unresponsive, and one of the teachers tried to perform life-saving measures while the Benson family alleged that it took the school 25 minutes to call for emergency services. When the ambulance arrived, the emergency staff found the child unconscious, and he also vomited and urinated on himself.

The ambulance took him to the hospital, where he remained unresponsive. Two days later, Benson died. Days following the death, the California Department of Education closed the school down for an investigation.

Lawyers for Guiding Hands School Inc. then stated that the de-escalation techniques were needed to ensure that the other students and school staff were safe and unharmed. However, the state said using force on Benson was "not reasonable and necessary."

The California Department of Education proceeded to cancel the school's certification, thus officially closing its operation in January 2019.

Wohlwend, Meyers, and Keller have been out on bail but were not allowed by the court to teach or work in educational facilities, including daycare centers. Their trial had been delayed due to changes in their defense attorneys. The defendants also tried to work out a plea deal with the state, but nothing came out of it.

Savannah Broddrick, the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office spokesperson, said that the criminal grand jury had to step in as the case was not moving along.

Guiding Hands School was replaced by Point Quest Education

Guiding Hands School was active for 25 years before being forced to shut down. The school had more than 100 students in K-12. Today, the facility has been replaced by Point Quest Education.

According to Sacramento Bee, the Benson family lived in Davis County but was placed in the El Dorado Hills school upon the recommendation of the Davis Joint Unified School District. Guiding Hands School also coordinated with many school districts in the Sacramento region for kids whose special needs cannot be met by other public schools or through homeschooling, per Mountain Democrat.

Related Article: Judge Rules Mom of Boy With Autism, Frozen to Death By Cop Dad, May Sue Child Protective Services